Buckley and Byrne Share The Top Step

Jack Byrne, Sheane, leads Colm Blackburn, Leastone, and Gavin Buckley, Sheane, during the Selco.ie Formula Vee race. Picture Barry Cregg.

For rounds five and six of the Selco.ie Formula Vee championship drivers returned to Mondello Park and the summer sunshine. 21 drivers took the the track for qualifying where the pace was hot over the three classes with everyone knowing how important it is to get a good place on the grid as overtaking is hard around the national track. The top three were covered by half a second with Colm Blackburn continuing his run of form from Bishopscourt by taking pole ahead of Gavin Buckley. Jack Byrne joined in third ahead of Kieran Hannan again showing great pace and heading the 'B' championship runners. 

Blackburn got the best start and lead away with Buckley alongside on the run down to turn one. Byrne tucked in behind in third. All got through turn one cleanly, not as easy as it would seem with a large field of cars. Blackburn set out to get the head down and make a break for it but Byrne had his head down too getting passed Buckley through turn two and looked very quick. By the end of lap one the first 3 had broke away with Hannan in fourth just about hanging on but easily ahead of his nearest challenger Conor Melia who himself was showing more experienced drivers the way round. Blackburn held firm over the next couple of laps soaking up the extreme pressure applied by Byrne who was trying everything he knew to get past, trying inside and outside lines everywhere. Buckley too tried to get back ahead of Byrne but he could not get close enough. Behind Hannan, Melia and Andy Keogh had a great battle of their own just ahead of Robert Flemming, 38 and Brian Hall also had a close dice of their own. It is a testament to the rules of the championship where the cars are so evenly match that it provides good racing throughout the field. 

Top: Colm Blackburn, Leastone, leads the field into turn 1, during the Selco.ie Formula Vee race. Picture Barry Cregg.

Bottom: Colm Blackburn, Leastone, leads Jack Byrne, Sheane, and Gavin Buckley, Sheane, during the Selco.ie Formula Vee race. Picture Barry Cregg.

By the closing stages Blackburn was having to drive even more defensively but doing an excellent job but Byrne found a way past at turn three and took the lead. Buckley was still there in third not able to challenge but there to pick up the pieces if anything went wrong between the front two. Hannan and Melia were now nose to tail, the newcomer showing great pace in the latter stages. Now could Byrne make a break and take the win or could Blackburn find a way past. It was a typical Formula Vee thriller where anything could happen. Byrne held the lead for the following lap but as they started the following one they interlocked wheels on the run into turn one and they both went off into the gravel. This moved everyone up a place but as the cars were in an unsafe place the safety car had to be deployed. With the clock running down the race was finished under the safety car. A shame it ended that way but that's motor racing. Luckily the cars were not damaged and both would be back out for race two later in the day. Buckley took the win from Hannan and Conor Melia came home in third. 

Kieran Hannan, Leastone, leads Conor Melia, Sheane, during the Selco.ie Formula Vee race. Picture Barry Cregg.

Robert Flemming, Sheane, leads Eamonn Thornton, Leastone, during the Selco.ie Formula Vee race. Picture Barry Cregg.

Speaking after the race Buckley was gracious in taking the win, " I'm grateful to get the win even though I really inherited it after the two lads took each other out. It was a great race up to then and was close the whole way but I just hadn't that last bit to get past them but that's racing!"

Gavin Buckley, winner of the Selco.ie Formula Vee race. Picture Barry Cregg.

After the tempers settled and cars dusted off they lined up on the grid later in the day for race two. Again Buckley lead the field into turn one with Buckley and Byrne behind. Buckley tried the outside line move on Blackburn but it backfired as it let Byrne through to second. Already it looked to be a carbon copy of race one earlier but it was early days and like race one anything could happen. Hannan again took up fourth place but behind Andy Keogh and Robert Flemming chased him down, with newcomer Conor Melia a few places back this time. As the race settled down into a rhythm, again the front three opened a gap to Hannan who seemed to be on his own as Keogh and Flemmming were have a great battle behind. 

Charlie Heart, Leastone, leads Eamon Thornton, Leastone, during the Selco.ie Formula Vee race. Picture Barry Cregg.

Robert Flemming, Sheane, leads Andy Keogh, Sheane, and Kieran Hannan, Leastone, during the Selco.ie Formula Vee race. Picture Barry Cregg.

 Jack Byrne, Sheane, leads Colm Blackburn, Leastone, and Gavin Buckley, Sheane, during the Selco.ie Formula Vee race. Picture Barry Cregg.

It is a compromise around Mondello if your in the lead. If you haven't the pace to pull away you have to defend but in doing so it slows you down. If your in the middle of a group you have to try and attack and pass but also not leave yourself open to be passed. That was Blackburn's problem in second and Byrne's problem in the lead. They fought hard once again neither suffering from the incident in race one. By the half way mark the top three remained the same but now there was a second group of three in a battle for four. Keogh moved up to fourth with Hannon and Flemming behind. A lap later Flemming was now up to fifth with great moved around the outside of Hannan at turn 2 and two laps later he was up another place. Unfortunately for Keogh and Hannan both retied in the following laps with mechanical problems.

Brian Hall, Sheane, leads Conor Melia, Sheane, during the Selco.ie Formula Vee race. Picture Barry Cregg.

Up front Byrne was having his work cut out in the lead as Blackburn was trying all sorts of lines trying to get by on the out of turn 3 which nearly came off and again on the inside of the esses to no joy but the outside line move at turn 1 did and into the lead he went. Another cracking Formula Vee race was unfolding as they headed towards the end of the race. Hopefully they wouldn't take each other out again. A lap later into turn one both Blackburn and Byrne went into turn one too deep allowing Buckley cut back on the inside to take the lead. 

Sadly just as this was closing in to the final stages the race was red flagged due to oil being dropped on track robbing the spectators of a last lap drama. The result was declared back two laps giving Blackburn the win but after the race he was disqualified for a rule infringement in parc ferme after the race. This gave Byrne the win to rescue his weekend.

Gavin Buckley was given second and Robert Flemming ended up in third.

Speaking after the race Byrne was surprised at getting the win;

" We had a mixed weekend having good pace but we are back in the hunt for the championship after Colm being disqualified. A bittersweet end to the weekend after what happend in race one, I got a bit out of shape going into turn one just as he moved across and we both ended up in the gravel. We had a great battle again in race two and got into the lead until I went off line after hitting the oil."

It is a result the could prove important by the end of the year with dropped rounds coming into effect as race one will be one one to drop for Byrne along with the following round, although it is one he is happy to as he will be getting marrying his fincaeé Michelle. All involved in Formula Vee wish them both many years of happiness.

Jack Byrne, after winning the Selco.ie Formula Vee race. Picture Barry Cregg.

Results:

Selco.ie Formula Vee National Championship

1st Gavin Buckley

2nd Kieran Hannan

3rd Conor Melia

Tyredoctor.ie 'B' Championship

1st Kieran Hannan

2nd Andy Keogh

3rd Robert Flemming

Ability IT Solutions Rookie Championship

1st Conor Melia

2nd Brian Hall

3rd Charlie Hart